The Mottled Owl is a common, fairly large owl of tropical lowlands and foothills. Found in forests, woodlands, plantations, gardens, and towns. Roosts during the day at all levels in dense cover of taller trees, but at night it often hunts from low perches such as fence posts and road signs.
Note the rounded head, brown eyes framed with whitish crescents on either side of the bill, and overall brown plumage that is streaked below. Varied gruff hoots can suggest a dog barking.
We had observed Mottled Owls while birding in Panama but it was still very cool to observe them again.
Through the years my granddaughter River has spent a lot of time camping, hiking, birding and owling with me all over North America and I was elated to share this most memorable owl experience with her.
We were in Panama on yet another owl prowl with the Spectacled Owl as our target bird. Our guide spent the day birding with us and in the afternoon took us up into the mountains birding. At a large plantation, up high in the mountains, we carefully moved through some dense foliage and were rewarded with not one but three Spectacled Owls sitting low on a branch. Truly a very rewarding experience.
We found 91 species that trip with 39 being lifers including a Mottled Owl.
